WEEDS

You will sustain me as you’ve promised in your word.         (Psalm 119:116)

No one or nothing can separate me from your love.             (Romans 8:38-39)

You will finish the work you have started in my life.           (Philippians 1:6)

By your Spirit and your word, I’m guided from above.          (John 16:13-15)

“I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

You are my refuge and my shield; 
I have put my hope in your word.

Away from me, you evildoers, 
that I may keep the commands of my God!

Sustain me according to your promise, and I will live; 
do not let my hopes be dashed.

Uphold me, and I will be delivered; 
I will always have regard for your decrees.

You reject all who stray from your decrees, 
for their deceitfulness is in vain.

All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross; 
therefore I love your statutes.

My flesh trembles in fear of you; 
I stand in awe of your laws.”

Psalm 119:113-120

WEEDS

            Pulling weeds.  Sounds like an unpleasant job, right?  I enjoy pulling weeds. Why? Because I know that if I pull the few weeds that come up early in the spring, I can prevent having a yard full of weeds in the summer.  Oh yes, I use pre-emergent weed killer, and later distribute weed and feed all over the lawn and water it in well; but there are always a few weeds that escape the pre-emergent stage and are hard to kill once they are full grown.  Those are the ones that have to be pulled or dug out if I desire a flawless carpet of green, and I’ll probably have to do it all over again next year if not all of my neighbors tend their lawns.

            God is referred to as a husbandman or gardener in scripture.  He nurtures his garden, the church.  He sprinkles on the pre-emergent evil killer, the law we are taught from our youth and the milk of the word we learn when we first come to know him.  Then he applies his weed and feed, his word preached and read that shows us the areas we need to yield to him so that desired growth occurs. Sometimes he pulls weeds.  He pulls weeds in our lives by removing things that hinder our walk with him.  He also pulls the stubborn weeds who never surrender their lives to him at all and “discards them like dross.”  He continues to work in our lives year after year to purify his garden.

            The next time you’re pulling weeds, remember to thank God for taking care of the garden of your life.  Allow him to remove the weeds of bad habits, and dangerous friendships as soon as he identifies them in your life.  Read the Bible and apply it in your life to prevent weeds before they emerge and stop the ones that are already growing.  Water it in by meditating on God’s word to you.  Thank him for weeding your garden when the influence of others leads you astray.  Thank him for continuing to work in his garden the church and specifically in that small plot of ground that is your own life. Thank God that you are firmly planted in his garden, and no weeds can ever choke you out!